Month: September 2012

Stephen M. Shapiro asserts, “well-intentioned leaders, in their attempts to boost innovation, are inadvertently destroying it,” in his latest book, Best Practices are Stupid. Stephen proceeds to present “40 ways to out-innovate the competition” in an attempt to rectify this all to common backfire.

I have been fortunate to have been introduced to Stephen Shapiro by my good friend Dan Keldsen. It is no surprise that Dan is mentioned in the acknowledgements for Best Practices Are Stupid. Dan is a genuinely smart man and tends to hang out with those who share his desire to innovate and collaborate.

Dan asked me to lead a Personality Poker session a few years back. It was then that I got introduced to the work of Stephen Shapiro. I was impressed by Stephen’s ability to take a game and convert it into a learning exercise. These games allow participants to share their insights collaboratively with the intent of innovating collectively.

When I started reading Best Practices Are Stupid, it was clear to me that new innovation and collaboration games would be introduced through the unfolding chapters.

I finally got to meet Stephen Shapiro in real life at the 2012 The Art of Leadership in Toronto produced by The Art of… Productions. Throughout the day we were exposed to insights by the likes of Marcus Buckingham, Carrot Guy, and other leadership visionaries.

Stephen Shapiro on Work Life Integration

On September 16, 2012, Robert Lavigne did a Live to Air Interview with Kim Reynolds using Google+/YouTube Hangout. During the one hour session, they discussed Empire Avenue and Social Media. Of particular interest, a discussion on Social Media Pressure and Authenticity provided much insight.

On September 15, 2012, Robert Lavigne did a Live to Air Interview with Rob Nielsen using Google+/YouTube Hangout. During the one hour session, we discussed Empire Avenue and Social Media. Of particular interest, a discussion on Social Media Fatigue and Weak Ties (Social Networking) provided much insight.